Unpopular opinion: cheap gear beat my fancy setup on a 3-night trip to Cherokee National Forest last month
I swapped my $200 pack for a $40 one from a flea market in Knoxville and honestly it carried better on the 12 mile stretch to Jake's Creek. The fancy tent leaked at the seams after night 2 while my buddy's old 2 person Coleman stayed bone dry. Now I'm stuck wondering if I've been paying for logos instead of performance this whole time. Do you all trust cheap gear for real trips or is that just asking for trouble?